1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to an X-ray detection apparatus configured to detect soft X-ray radiation.
2. Description of the Related Art
A solid-state image pickup device including an amplifier unit for each pixel is known to the present inventors. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-024907 describes a solid-state image pickup device having a plurality of pixels. Each of the pixels includes a photodiode and a source follower metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistor serving as part of an amplifier circuit. In the solid-state image pickup device described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-024907, a photodiode and a source follower MOS transistor are disposed on a single semiconductor substrate.
The solid-state image pickup device disclosed by Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-024907 operates exclusively in the visible light range of the electromagnetic spectrum. However, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-024907 does not discuss detection of soft X-ray radiation.